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Saturday, April 29, 2017

More Scandal, Lies And Cover Ups From The Conservatives... By Jim Thomas

Over the last few days, drivers have been receiving emails and letters from their MP, in reply to the pointcab.co.uk system, and we've noticed a worrying trend from the Conservative MPs.

It seems the conservative MPs are under the impression that all Boris's recommendations to make the private hire industry safer, have been implemented.

It also appears most of the Tory replies contain similar breakdown of supposed events.

This one below comes from Helen Grant MP:

Boris Johnson, the previous Mayor of London, worked extremely hard to ensure that there is a sustainable future for London's iconic black cabs by helping to bring the trade into the 21st century and create a level playing field for both black cabs and minicabs in London. As a result of a consultation, the Transport for London (TfL) Board approved the following proposals to modernise private hire regulations, and to raise standards in the industry in London, which came into effect in June 2016:

. A formal English language requirement for drivers.

. Private hire operators to ensure that customers can speak to someone in the event of a problem with their journey.

. Even more robust 'hire and reward' insurance requirements.

. Improved record keeping and real-time provision of driver and vehicle information to TfL to make enforcement even easier and more effective

On your specific point on capping the number of private hire vehicles in London, then London Mayor Boris Johnson asked TfL to investigate the impact and feasibility of removing the Congestion Charge exemption for private hire vehicles in central London to tackle pollution and reduce congestion.

Then we had this reply from the Office of James Berry MP

I should add that I supported Boris Johnson's original proposals because I support London's iconic black cabs. Boris Johnson worked hard to ensure that there is a sustainable future for London's black cabs. These included requirements for

. A formal English language requirement for drivers

. Private hire operators to ensure that customers can speak to someone in the event of a problem with their journey

. Even more robust 'hire and reward' insurance requirements and improved record keeping and real-time provision of driver and vehicle information to TfL to make enforcement even easier and more effective.

I hope these changes will have a positive impact for black cab drivers.

Also almost identical reply from David Burrowes MP.

Do these Tory MPs seriously not know that Boris's recommendations were not implemented or have been seriously watered down.

Not only that, we now have another Tory minister who has told lies to the Taxi trade.

Christopher Stephen Grayling PC is a British Conservative Party politician and former author who has been the Secretary of State for Transport since July 2016. He recently stated in answer to a parliamentary question (72004) that at no time had Mayor Sadiq Khan asked for a cap on private hire vehicles in London.

Letter From Mayor Khan To Chris Grayling.

The LTDA posted this image on Twitter earlier today, of a letter from Sadiq Khan to Chris Grayling which stops short of accusing the MP of misleading parliament by saying he (Khan) is disappointed that the MP hasn't been fully updated on the matter and offered to sent the MP and his officials any further information if required.

Going by the growing trend, seen within the Conservative MPs replies to Pointcab.co.uk, it appears most of the Tory party haven't been fully updated on this matter.

But then Chris Grayling, prefers to keep people in the dark.

In a chilling move, debated for less than an hour, the House of Commons decided the public have no right to know if their MP is arrested. The motion was tabled when Grayling was Tory Leader of the House, arguing the naming of MPs under arrest breached their "right to privacy" under the Human Rights Act.

And yet while he was Justice Secretary, Mr Grayling led Government plans to scrap the Human Rights Act.

But the best emails I saw this week was the reply to James Berry MP.

Dear James Berry MP,

Thank you for your e-mail response to my correspondence regarding allegations in the Daily Mail about former Prime Minister David Cameron, former Chancellor George Osborne and Uber and I thank you for writing to the Cabinet Office to ask that the sequence of events be properly investigated so that the record can be set straight and any further investigations taken forward.

I can fully appreciate that you have to balance your thoughts when it comes to your constituents’ problems and those on a national level.

As an elected Member of Parliament you are the custodian of the parliamentary legislation that has been handed down to the various government bodies and their civil servant employees who should make sure that in this case the Private Hire Vehicles (London) Act 1998 (PHV(L)A 1998) is enforced.

It appears that the Prime Minister and Chancellor of the Exchequer along with some civil servants have been asked for favours from family friends regarding the Uber Platform. All that the national taxi trade is asking is for a public inquire as to if this is true or not, which would settle the matter once and for all.

Uber has stated in a court of law that they are not a transport provider, so one has to ask why were they given a private hire operator’s licence in the first place?

The (PHV(L)A 1998) states that the booking has to be made through a registered private hire operating centre where the records must be kept for inspection should the need be.

The private hire driver cannot accept a booking in their vehicle even if they have a private hire operator’s licence. Therefore, Uber and its driver/partners are acting illegally as the customer is directed straight thorough to the driver, bypassing the registered private hire operating centre as required.

In the last 5 years that Uber has been registered in London as a private hire operator, how many times has the registered private hire operating centre in London been visited and the records inspected, as it appears that their registered private hire operating centre is an empty shell void of any communication equipment or booking records.

It’s all well and good Transport for London (TfL) Board approving the proposals to modernise private hire regulations, and to raise standards in the industry in London, which came into effect in June 2016, but unless this and the (PHV(L)A 1998) legislation is enforced and the private hire industry complies then there will be no change as Uber and its driver/partners will carry on circumnavigating the parliamentary legislation that is there to protect the British public and its taxi and private hire business model.

Uber may have an effect on reducing the employment figures, but what it is actually doing in reality is massively increasing the benefits budget at the same time.

I look forward to receiving from you the response from the Cabinet Office.

Yours sincerely

(If you want to use this letter to reply to your MP, just copy and paste and add your name here )

Now look at this letter Sen to Theresa May on behalf of Neil Coyle's constituency. This is probably what every Taxi driver was expecting and the fact that Neil Coyle is a Labour MP..... Speaks volumes.